


Making A Choice

by EmeraldHeiress



Series: How Dangerous (A Mask Can Be) [19]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days
Genre: Angst, Choices, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Don't copy to another site, Gen, Good Older Sibling Jason Todd, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, League of Assassins Jason Todd, Possible Character Death, Revelations, Surprises, The League of Assassins (DCU), unnamed villian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26659522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: “Oooohoo! This choice causes confusion in the ranks!” The man clapped his hands together. “How interesting!” He grinned. “Too bad it doesn’t matter!”Damian is forced to make a choice. No one agrees it's the right one.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd
Series: How Dangerous (A Mask Can Be) [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932781
Comments: 32
Kudos: 536





	1. Chapter 1

Why did every villain try this crap at least once? Every single one. It was practically a right of passage for Gotham rogues. It never succeeded. Why did they bother? Did it get them entry into an exclusive club? The back room at the Iceberg Lounge?

Who was this guy again?

Dick couldn’t even remember his name. Too many new idiots trying to cut their teeth in the power vacuum left by Black Mask’s disappearance.

Speaking off… He cut his gaze to the left, where Red Hood was in imminent danger of losing his head. This guy wasn’t screwing around. Dick had his suspicions about what happened to Sionis. Suspicions he wasn’t sharing with Batman any time soon. 

He didn’t think that Jason knew he’d been there when Roman had threatened Damian and Tim in the same breath he’d bragged about killing Stephanie.

Every smart rogue knew you didn’t threaten the Robins around the Hood

Dick couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but relief. As much as he could with a battleaxe to his throat, anyway.

All of them were in similar predicaments, though Robin’s captor had a sword instead of an axe. Dick wasn’t sure that was the best move, to be honest. Smallest didn’t mean least dangerous.

He yawned. 

“Am I boring you?” The villain snapped.

_Shit_. Dick winced. He should have been paying better attention.

“Yes.” Damian bit out, blunt as ever.

_Oh, fuck._

The lunatic turned his head to the boy, “Shall we move on to the main event, then?”

With a snap of fingers, Dick found a blade digging into his throat. Real fear turned in his stomach. He hadn’t had a chance to plan. A chance to get out of it. His eyes darted around the circle, finding his brothers and father in the same pose.

Jason snarled, driving the blade in deeper, a trickle of red dripping down his neck.

The villain stalked over to the youngest bat and wrench his hair, dragging his head up to look at him.

“Bored now, little Robin?” 

Damian winced. He hadn’t meant to cause this. Only to distract. 

“Get your hands off him!” Hood growled.

“Calm down, Hood.” Dick tried to soothe, swallowing against the steel on his throat.

“What do you want?” Batman bit out. It was difficult to read but the strain, the worry was there. He was genuinely concerned about the situation.

“What everyone wants!” He chirped cheerfully, releasing Robin. “To kill the Batman and his little band of baby bats.” He bent down to stare Damian in the eye, “I’ll tell you what, though, kid. I like your balls. You can pick someone to live.”

“What?” Damian asked, playing for more time, heart beating rapidly in his chest. 

Dick wasn’t sure the time would help. He couldn’t do anything. Unless Jason or Tim or B could pull something, they were stuck.

He pinched the boy’s cheek sharply, causing Robin to hiss. “Pick which batling you want to live, kiddo.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Or yourself. You can choose yourself. But everyone else is losing their heads!” 

He was serious. They could all read it on his face. They could all see the intent in his eyes. He was going to kill them.

_Shit_. Dick closed his eyes in resignation, heartbeat like drums in his ears. _Please, Damian. Please, save yourself._ He begged internally. He knew he wouldn’t. Knew that his own name would leave the boy’s lips. 

“Hood.”

Dick’s eyes snapped open in surprise.

“Habibi!” The anguish in Jason’s voice was clear. “Don’t you _fucking dare_.” 

The boy stared resolutely at the man and repeated, “I choose Red Hood.”

“What?” Tim asked softly, baffled, from the other side of Jason.

“Oooohoo! This choice causes confusion in the ranks!” The man clapped his hands together. “How interesting!” He grinned. “Too bad it doesn’t matter!” 

Swords rose.

Blades fell.

Jason screamed.


	2. Chapter 2

The villain’s head rolled across the floor and league assassins subdued his henchmen. Jason surged to his feet as soon as his hands were unbound, grabbing Damian in rough embrace. ****

“ _Don’t you ever fucking do that again_ , Damian.” Small hands fisted in his brown leather jacket as Robin hid his face in Jason’s shoulder. “ _Don’t you ever even think it_.”

“I’m not sorry.” Voice muffled by leather.

“I _know_ you’re not, you little shit.” Jason choked. “And I _don’t_ forgive you. 

“I wasn’t going to let him kill you, akhi.”

“Did you think about what that would do to me?” Jason asked, agonized. “About what it would drive me to?” He pressed a soft kiss in the boy’s hair. 

“Would you use the Pit?”

“For _you?_ In a fucking heartbeat.” Jason dropped to his knees again, cradling Robin against his chest, ignoring the assassins surrounding them and the bewildered bats. “I would do _anything_ for you, little brother.”

After a moment one of the assassins, this one with a blue hood instead of the black of the rest, respectfully stopped and bowed.

Jason looked up. “Speak.”

“My prince.”

Something snapped. _Shit_. Jason forgot about Bruce and the others. He darted a look at where they were now being held. That was not a happy face. 

He sighed. Something else to deal with tonight. 

Whatever. He was more concerned with the kid right now anyway.

“My prince, your mother is on her way and will be here shortly.”

Jason grimaced but nodded. This was going to be a shit show, what with Bruce in the corner and all. But damn if he wasn’t going to be happy to see her.

“Ummi?” Damian peeked out from Jason’s shoulder enough to look at the band leader. Faint lines of tear tracks glistened in the light. 

“That’s what he said, kiddo.” 

Jason gently wiped them with a thumb, receiving a disgruntled look for his trouble. The click of her boots caught their ears and both turned towards the door, listening as they hurried towards them. 

Damian tried to stand, to present a strong facade, but Jason just held onto him. Unwilling to let him go. Talia would see through it in an instant, anyway.

The scent of sandalwood drifted through the door and she stepped into the room, eyes sweeping once for threats, before landing on her sons. With one long stride, she was _there_. Immediately, she carded fingers through Jason’s hair and kissed his forehead. 

“My boys. I was worried when I heard.” 

“ _Ummi_ ,” Damian scrambled for her and Jason finally let him go as the boy wrapped arms around the woman’s waist. She hugged him tightly.

“Damian, it’s alright. You’re safe.”

Jason rose and stood awkwardly to the side, still unsure even in this. She reached for him, drawing him in and tucking his head into her shoulder. An unconscious mirror of Damian minutes before.

He breathed in slowly.

The last thing he needed was to break down. In front of the men. In front of the bats. _Bruce_. But fuck, he could have lost his little brother tonight. Could have lost _everything_.

“It’s alright, my son.” Her soft voice whispered comfortingly in his ear. “I’m here.”

“ _Mom_.” His breath hitched.

“Let go.” 

He did.


End file.
